General Tso’s Chicken

By Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD

Ubiquitous in North American Chinese restaurants, General Tso’s Chicken often involves deep-fried chicken served with a sweet and spicy sauce that has a sodium content rivalling the Dead Sea. Tangy, spicy, and infused with crispy vegetables, this reincarnation is much lighter and fresher tasting. Making General Tso’s Chicken at home is also much easier and quicker than you’d think!

• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp (10 mL) minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) red chili flakes
• 2 tsp (10 mL) + 3 Tbsp (45 mL) cornstarch, divided
• 2 large free-range egg whites
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb (750 g) skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces
• 5 tsp (25 mL) grapeseed or peanut oil, divided
• 2 cups (500 mL) snow peas, trimmed and halved
• 1 large carrot, cut on a diagonal into thin rounds
• 2 cups (500 mL) cooked brown rice
• 1 green onion, sliced
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

In medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. In small bowl, whisk together 2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch with 1/3 cup (80 mL) water. Stir cornstarch mixture into soy sauce mixture. Set aside.

In large bowl, whisk egg whites, remaining cornstarch, and pepper until well combined. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat.

Heat large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp (10 mL) oil, and once shimmering, add half the chicken, letting any excess egg white mixture drip off before adding to pan. Cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and cover. Add 2 tsp (10 mL) more oil to the pan and repeat with remaining chicken.

Add remaining oil to pan along with snow peas and carrot and cook until slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Add sauce and cooked chicken to skillet and heat until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Serve on bed of rice. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

Serves: 4.

Each serving contains:

426 calories; 45 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 39 g total carbohydrates (7 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 444 mg sodium

About the Author

Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is an Ontario-based dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Muffin Tin Chef and The No-Cook, No-Bake Cookbook (Ulysses Press, 2012, 2013).

Source: General Tso’s Chicken – Alive

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